


Cold Hands, Warm Heart

by f-ing-ruthless-baz (f_ing_ruthless_baz)



Series: Red, White, and Royal Blue Ficlets [1]
Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Ficlet, Fluff, M/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-11-02 02:33:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20592104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/f_ing_ruthless_baz/pseuds/f-ing-ruthless-baz
Summary: Although he’s not as drunk as last time, Alex still stumbles a little in the snow on his way over to Henry, who looks up and gives him a small smile. It’s his tired smile, the one that doesn’t quite reach his eyes—Alex can tell, when he gets closer.“You’re a party pooper, you know that,” Alex teases as he leans against the tree next to him and nudges him with his shoulder. “Or did you just lure me out here so you could kiss me again.”“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Henry replies with a soft chuckle.A year after their first kiss, Alex finds Henry out in the garden again on New Year's Eve.





	Cold Hands, Warm Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this prompt from [a list on tumblr](https://f-ing-ruthless-baz.tumblr.com/post/186937783832/50-types-of-kisses-writing-prompts): _Tucking their hands beneath the other person’s shirt, just to watch them break the kiss and gasp in surprise at the sensation of cold/warm hands on their skin._

Alex isn’t entirely surprised when he looks out to the garden and sees a tall figure leaning against one of the trees. Henry. Just like this time last year.

It’s not quite midnight yet, though, but he knows Henry was already a bit worn-out before the party even began. Lots of traveling back and forth, with the holidays, and his new place in Brooklyn. It’s been a hectic month all around. No wonder he needed to step aside for a minute.

Although he’s not as drunk as last time, Alex still stumbles a little in the snow on his way over to Henry, who looks up and gives him a small smile. It’s his tired smile, the one that doesn’t quite reach his eyes—Alex can tell, when he gets closer.

“You’re a party pooper, you know that,” Alex teases as he leans against the tree next to him and nudges him with his shoulder. “Or did you just lure me out here so you could kiss me again.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Henry replies with a soft chuckle.

Alex rests his chin on Henry’s shoulder. “We can bail, if you want,” he says.

“It’s your party; you can’t just leave.”

“I can do anything I want, babe.” He grins, because they both know that’s not entirely true. They’ll never be able to do just _anything_ they want, not without careful planning and arrangements. That’s never going to change.

Henry smiles out of the corner of his mouth again and brushes his knuckles against the back of Alex’s hand. “It’s nearly midnight, at any rate,” he says. “You should go back inside and celebrate with everyone.”

“I don’t want to celebrate with everyone,” Alex replies seriously. “I want to celebrate with you.”

He reaches up and turns Henry’s face towards him for a kiss, which makes Henry relax his shoulders.

“Fine,” Henry says with a sigh when their lips part. “I’ll come back inside, but I won’t be any fun.”

“I know that, my dear,” Alex says jokingly, stroking the hair at the nape of Henry’s neck. “But maybe I don’t want to go back inside yet.”

Henry raises an eyebrow at him, and Alex grabs him by the waist and pulls him close to kiss him again. Henry pushes back against him, turning to face Alex head on and trapping him against the tree. As cold as the air is, the mix of alcohol and something else—something he could probably name now—warms him from the inside.

He’s never done this before. Ringing in the new year with this feeling in his chest, that is. With someone he loves this way. He thinks he could get used to this.

Henry’s tongue brushing against his isn’t the shock it was a year ago; it’s comfortingly familiar, now. But a thrill nonetheless.

Alex drags both his hands through Henry’s hair while he slides his own up Alex’s sides, under his blazer. His hands are cold on Alex’s waist, even through his shirt, but it’s nice. Henry’s strong hands grip him firmly, and it feels like the only thing grounding him in this moment.

He tugs on Henry’s lower lip with his teeth, eliciting a low groan from him that runs straight through Alex and settles deep in his belly. The garden isn’t the most secluded spot, he knows, so it wouldn’t really be wise to let things escalate now—but wisdom was never Alex’s strong suit, especially when he’s been drinking.

One of Henry’s hands roams towards the placket of Alex’s shirt, and he slips a couple fingers between the buttons. The cold against his skin makes Alex gasp suddenly, and Henry lets out a small laugh in a puff of air.

“Cheeky,” Alex says, and Henry’s eyes finally smile as well.

He gives Alex a peck on the lips before taking a step back. “Come on, we should at least make another appearance before we leave,” he says.

Alex smirks. “Does this mean we’re leaving soon, then?”

“Well,” Henry says, pursing his lips together like he’s trying not to smirk back, “I am quite jet-lagged, after all.”

“Right, yeah…”

Henry nods his head back towards the door inside and takes Alex’s hand as they walk over.

“Wait, do you actually just want to go to sleep, or…?” Alex asks, and Henry side-eyes him.

“You’re still bloody thick, aren’t you?”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find more of me and my fics and my nonsense on Tumblr as [f-ing-ruthless-baz](https://f-ing-ruthless-baz.tumblr.com)!


End file.
